An Auckland artist deeply touched by her visit to Nepal this year has created paintings for an exhibition next month which celebrate the country and is donating some profits from the show to the Sir Edmund Hillary Trust to assist the Nepalese people. Kate Northcott’s exhibition titled "A Journey through Nepal" will be at Palette Gallery in Belmont, North Shore, New Zealand from July 17-31 and will include around 20 new mixed media paintings.
The artist’s trip included a trek in the Helambu region and visits to cities such as Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. Along the way she kept a visual diary – noting details such as the contour lines of paddy fields, the floor plans of temples, the colours of powdered dyes sold on the streets and the shapes of prayer flags strung between rock cairns. These drawings evolved into a series of paintings which document her journey.
Palette Gallery director Deborah Moss says Ms Northcott’s bold use of colour, symbolism and an aerial perspective, combine to make arresting pieces which always contain something new to discover.
The artist typically uses mapping to portray her perception of a place where an event occurred, cartography to indicate outdoor spaces and architectural floor plans to denote spaces indoors. She frequently includes an overwriting of poetry to record the voice of herself or others included in the experience of her own thoughts.
The artist says her decision to donate some earnings from the exhibition, relates to her "gratitude for the amazing experiences I had in Nepal, and concern for the wellbeing of the people and environment of Nepal."
Palette Gallery will also make a donation to the Trust.
Ms Northcott has a Visual Arts degree from the Manukau Institute of Technology and is currently working as a full-time artist. She has participated in several solo and group shows in Auckland.
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